God told Zachariah, the prophet, to tell Zerubbabel (a descendant of King David) that God would build the temple through him, not by his might and power but by His Spirit. This was to encourage Zerubbabel and his team, as they were facing tremendous difficulties in rebuilding the temple. Ezra 4
‘Likewise, when serving in Kingdom works, we must humbly acknowledge that we serve by the Holy Spirit and not by our might and power. When we are called to serve God, our reaction is full of plans and eagerness to serve well. We don’t think much about the reality of the situation. We pray for God’s help, but we don’t think much of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, things do not run as smoothly as we want them to. There will be bumps and potholes along the way. So, when we do encounter such obstacles, we must slow down and seek God. We have to be aware that we must seek the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. God knows that we will face problems that overwhelm or discourage us. Problems like disunity among teammates, discouragement, unforgiveness, being unable to get work done, fear, etc. All these will jeopardize our obedience and love for Him. He, being an all-knowing God, knows that without Him, we would falter along the way, so we need His Spirit to empower us to overcome our obstacles.
We must consciously remember that whatever ministry we are doing; we need to commune with Him regularly, to seek His guidance and wisdom. No matter how busy we are, we must not neglect our time with Him. Spending time with Him will give us joy in our ministry, and even when we face obstacles, we won’t feel frustrated or helpless (from my experience). God promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. In Ps 145:18a “He is near to all who call unto Him…” meaning whoever calls on our Heavenly Father, He is near to them. But a lot of times, when we encounter problems or obstacles in our ministry, we tend to try to solve them first, and when we can’t find a solution, we only turn to God. We must make it our priority to seek God first, and then all these things will be added to us. Matt 6:33.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have the Holy Spirit in us. God has given us His Holy Spirit not only to nurture us but also to help us accomplish things for Him. So let us be willing vessels to be used by Him for His Kingdom.
